Kentucky 2023 2023 Regular Session

Kentucky House Bill HJR18 Introduced / Bill

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A JOINT RESOLUTION designating the Heroes Bridge in Floyd County. 1 
WHEREAS, on June 30, 2022, while in the line of duty serving the citizens of the 2 
Commonwealth, the lives of three police officers and one K-9 officer were tragically 3 
taken in a senseless act of violence; and 4 
WHEREAS, Patrolman Jacob Chaffins was born on October 18, 1993, in Pikeville, 5 
Kentucky, and was a Prestonsburg City Police Officer, member of the Prestonsburg Fire 6 
Department, Sergeant in the National Guard, EMT, and U.S. Marshal, and attended 7 
Tom's Creek Baptist Church, and he is survived by his wife, Savannah Chaffins, and 8 
daughter, Paisley Chaffins; and 9 
WHEREAS, Captain Ralph Frasure was born on May 17, 1962, in Wabash, 10 
Indiana, and was the Captain of the Prestonsburg City Police and the school resource 11 
officer at Prestonsburg High School, and he is survived by his wife, Clearnce Prater 12 
Frasure, and his three children, Ralph Kelly Frasure, Robert Clarence Frasure, and Stacy 13 
McGuire; and 14 
WHEREAS, Sheriff Deputy William Petry was born on July 31, 1961, in Martin, 15 
Kentucky, and was a former Prestonsburg Police Officer, a retired Kentucky State 16 
Trooper Badge #1137, holding the positions of Trooper, Detective and Public Affairs 17 
Officer, was the Fire Chief for the Martin City Fire Department, a Deputy for the Floyd 18 
County Sheriff's Department, a Freemason, a member of the Shriners, and Past Master of 19 
the John W. Hall Lodge, and he is survived by his wife, Sherry Rorrer Petry, his children, 20 
William Chase Petry and Courtney Branham Dingus, and his grandchildren; and 21 
WHEREAS, K-9 Officer Drago was a Belgian Malinois who started his service 22 
alongside his handler, Justin Szymchack, on November 17, 2017, he took his job as a K-9 23 
officer for the Floyd County Sheriff's Department very seriously, and he was involved in 24 
several drug trafficking arrests before his death; and 25 
WHEREAS, the tragic end of these lives has left a void that cannot be filled, and 26 
they are mourned by the Prestonsburg community and across the length and breadth of 27  UNOFFICIAL COPY  	23 RS BR 1010 
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the Commonwealth; and 1 
WHEREAS, to honor and commemorate the sacrifice and lives of these great 2 
heroes, it is fitting that the General Assembly designate the Heroes Bridge in Floyd 3 
County; 4 
NOW, THEREFORE, 5 
Be it resolved by the General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Kentucky: 6 
Section 1.   The Transportation Cabinet shall designate the bridge on Kentucky 7 
Route 114 over Levisa Fork in Floyd County (Bridges #036B0084R and #036B0084L) as 8 
the "Heroes Bridge" and shall, within 30 days of the effective date of this Resolution, 9 
erect appropriate signs denoting this designation. The signs erected under this section 10 
shall read:  11 
"Heroes Bridge 12 
In Memory of Our Fallen Officers 13 
Jacob Chaffins, Ralph Frasure, William Petry, and K-9 Drago". 14